Writer-in-Residence
Richmond’s Writer-in-Residence Program delivers hands-on programming and mentorship for local aspiring and emerging writers. The annual two-month residency position is held yearly by a writer with experience in developing and facilitating workshops, leading public conversations and hosting readings and events.
A partnership between the City of Richmond and Richmond Public Library, the program aims to foster a greater appreciation for Canadian writers, and creative writing, through innovative public programs that will engage readers and writers across generations and cultures.
Free Writer-In-Residence 2025 programs!
Information coming Fall, 2024
Registration will open Winter, 2025
The Richmond Public Library and the City of Richmond’s Richmond Arts Centre are vibrant hubs of activity in the heart of Richmond’s downtown core. Located in the Minoru precinct’s Library/Cultural Centre building, the facility is a short walk from the Canada Line’s Brighouse Station.
Past Richmond Writers-in-Residence include: Audrey Thomas, Lindi Nolte, Sonya Lalli, Lindsay Wong, Cynthia Sharp, Andrew Battershill, Nilofar Shidmehr, Karen X. Tulchinsky, Sally Stubbs, Mark Leiren-Young, Nancy Lee and Caroline Adderson
Call for Expression of Interest:
Richmond’s 2026 Writer-in-Residence
Residency Dates: To be announced
Program Partners: Richmond Public Library and Richmond Arts Centre
Application Deadline: To be announced
Requirements
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- A minimum of one critically well-received title published professionally: fiction, short stories, poetry, drama or literary non-fiction.
- Professional teaching or public speaking experience.
- Comfortable and willing to engage with the public one-on-one and in group settings.
- Active participant in the local writing community.
- In the early working stage of a new writing project intended for book-length publication.
We encourage applications from writers of under-represented communities including Indigenous, Black, people of colour, LGBTQ2S+, mixed abilities and other non-dominant groups. We encourage applicants to self-identify in their application if they feel comfortable in doing so.
Remuneration
- $5,000 (2 month contract position)
- The successful candidate will be responsible for finding their own accommodation and transportation
Expressions of interest packages must include
- Cover letter – including a clear plan for public programming during the residency.
- Resumé – including a history of literary publications, previous community engagement experience, teaching experiences, conducting library programs, facilitating workshops or other forms of public presentation.
- Contact information for three references.
- 20−30 page (max.) sample of recent writing, along with reviews of earlier works.
- Once a short-list of candidates has been determined, the selection committee will request three letters of reference from each of the short-listed applicants.